Hydraulic steering systems for marine craft having outboard motors are well known and desirable accessories. Conventionally such steering systems have a steering wheel located remotely from the motor and associated steering components. A hydraulic pump is located on the steering wheel and is hydraulically connected to a steering assembly by hydraulic lines. The steering assembly is mounted on the outboard propulsion unit, or units in the case of marine craft having a plurality of outboard propulsion units, and includes a hydraulic cylinder with a piston rod which reciprocates and thus steers the propulsion unit about a steering axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,920 to Hall et al., teaches that the traveling cylinder can be attached to the tiller arm by a slider mechanism wherein a lost motion connection is established between the tiller arm and the cylinder in order to compensate for the arcuate movement of the tiller arm. Alternatively, a drag link mechanism can be pivotally attached between one end of the cylinder and the tiller arm. These mechanisms have certain limitations discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,801 to McBeth.
McBeth discloses a connector which provides a strong and simple universal connection between the hydraulic steering assembly and the tiller arm of the engine. This eliminates a lost motion type slider. However, the mechanism requires significant rotation of the support brackets about the tilt axis of the motor. This rotation may be inhibited by such factors as poor maintenance, including the overtightening of nuts and other components or by corrosion, for example. If the support brackets are thus inhibited from rotating, then the steering action is impaired. This possibility has prevented widespread commercial acceptance of the McBeth steering assembly, even though it appears to provide significant advantages over the prior art.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved hydraulic steering assembly for outboard motors which overcomes disadvantages associated with the prior art.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved hydraulic steering assembly for outboard motors which reduces significantly rotation of the support brackets about the tilt axis of the motor, thus allowing continued steering even when rotation of the brackets is impaired.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved hydraulic steering assembly for outboard motors which is simple and reliable in construction and is relatively easy to install and maintain.